Bedford High School

About Bedford High School

Bedford High School is a mixed state secondary in Wigan that currently educates 1,101 pupils against a capacity of 1,210, meaning it runs with just under 91% occupancy. That spare capacity is notable given the level of demand: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 448 applications for 231 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.94, and made 199 offers to first-preference families. The school’s intake reflects a significantly higher-than-average level of disadvantage, with 37.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national secondary average of around 23%. This context matters when interpreting the school’s academic results, as schools with high FSM rates often face additional challenges in driving attainment. The school is led by headteacher Paul McCaffery and has no sixth form or nursery provision, so pupils leave at 16.

Academically, Bedford High School’s Progress 8 score of -0.24 places it slightly below the national average but above the Wigan local authority average of -0.3. That ranks the school 11th out of 19 secondaries in the borough, putting it in the bottom half locally but still ahead of several peers. Its Attainment 8 score of 42.8 is modest, and 41% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs (the basics 95 measure), compared with 61.5% at the grade 4 threshold. The school’s strongest Progress 8 component is English, where pupils score +0.14, while maths is the weakest at -0.45. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023, the school was rated Good across all five categories — overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2013.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, and music rooms, alongside sports such as rowing, gymnastics, and hockey. Clubs include Model UN, debate, and an eco club. SEND provision is well-documented, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. With no sixth form, families will need to plan for post-16 options elsewhere. Bedford High School is a solid, well-subscribed local option that serves a high-needs community and delivers results broadly in line with the local authority average. It will particularly suit families who value a Good-rated school with strong pastoral and SEND support, and who are comfortable with a non-selective, comprehensive intake.

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